Bamana Door Lock, Mali

Description of Significance:

Bamana door locks, used to secure houses and granaries, combine functionality with cultural significance, featuring a range of designs from abstract and symbolic to representations of ancestors. These locks consist of a carved vertical element, often depicting motifs attached to the door with iron staples, and a sliding horizontal wooden bar. Iron teeth engage with small holes for locking, while pointed corners serve as hinges, and a sculpted wooden lock keeps the door closed. A key lifts the iron pegs to unlock, with the designs carrying symbolic meanings, often embodying an ancestor figure for protection against negative forces.

Origin:

• Handcrafted for use in Mali

Dimensions (in inches):

• Depth: 4"
• Width: 14"
• Height: 18" 

Materials: 

• Indigenous wood

Display:

• This piece includes the custom base in the photos.
• Please let us know if you are interested in a different display option.

About Antique African Art:

Hemingway Gallery regards antique African art as the best artistic expression of aesthetic beauty and storytelling throughout the known history of art. Aside from artistic taste, African art accrues value in different ways than other genres, including use in ceremonial settings as well as age. 50 years can be regarded as old or antique when it comes to wood masks and totems. Hemingway Gallery provides both authoritative insight and context into each artifact in the collection, possessing and readily exhibiting direct, intimate knowledge of the source and pedigree. The goal is to preserve and curate one-of-a-kind artifacts of importance while creating a platform for the acquisition of spectacular unique pieces within financial reach.

Our Pricing:

Hemingway Gallery ethically sources all the fine art in our collection. Our pricing correlates directly to the asking prices of artists, artisans and art dealers in the various African countries we collect from and the costs of importing the artwork to the U.S. We need to change the idea that artists should be paid pennies for their fine art just because it comes from Africa. Paying a fair price in Africa  is our number one priority and our pricing reflects that. 

Shipping:

• Shipped with FedEx Ground: $30
• A declared value is included in the shipping so a signature is required for delivery.
• We ship around the world! Our website is still new and is not yet processing automatic international shipping rates. Please contact us directly for custom shipping quotes outside the mainland USA (including Hawaii and Alaska).

Further Information:

Please email us at info@hemingwayafricangallery.com or call 212-838-3650 with the SKU # for further information on this piece.